Discovering CranioSacral Therapy: Unlocking Your Body's Healing Potential

I recently received a call from a friend who referred a patient to me for CranioSacral Therapy. The new patient’s spouse came to watch the therapy and called my friend to complain that I looked like I was doing nothing. “Lauri asked a few questions, had him lie down on the table, and then lightly placed her hands along his spine for the hour. I think my husband was sleeping most of the time.”
 
My friend responded, “So, how is his problem now?”
 
“Well,” she said, “we’re going back because the problem is gone, and I want to know exactly what she did!”
 
This unique therapy, which might seem uneventful to an observer, is actually a powerful healing technique. When I teach CST (CranioSacral Therapy), I often demonstrate the techniques with a warning to students that this may seem like watching paint dry or grass grow. But I let them know what I feel under my hands is lots of movement. Often, the patient may only feel a sense of relief or calmness during a session. Afterward, they may report alleviation of symptoms or other changes of some sort.
 
CST is a mode of evaluation and treatment that views the patient as a whole and integrated “system” that has an innate healing ability of its own. By focusing on these internal healing abilities, the body’s “inner wisdom,” the therapist becomes a facilitator in a process directed by the patient’s body.
 
So how does it work?
 
The movement of cerebral spinal fluid creates a core rhythm in the body, which is translated throughout the entire body: the brain, spinal cord, and surrounding regions—the craniosacral system. This whole body rhythm shows the therapist where flow restrictions are due to a lack of motion in a specific area.
 
By tuning into this craniosacral rhythm, the therapeutic facilitator can better evaluate the cause of the problem rather than focusing on symptoms.
 
Dr. John Upledger, a highly regarded authority in the field, says that CST “accesses the total human being’s self-corrective and self-healing process. Further, this therapeutic approach attempts to maximize the patient’s responsibility for their overall well-being.”     
 
What I can tell my patient’s spouse is that I was “doing something” by helping her husband activate his own healing wisdom.  Since she reported his problem is gone, her husband did exactly that!

If you’d like to learn more about how CST might help you, contact me to schedule a brief call.